The Making of Masters
by Volucris20
Summary: Nicholas Willow can be the best. He's got the determination, the cunning and no small amount of healthy competition. But times have changed and when he steps out into the Hoenn Region he quickly discovers that people do not share his vision. It'll take adversity, intolerance and a strange boy in black to show him there's more to fear on a Pokemon journey than a few Gym Leaders.
1. The Brothers and their Dream

**Story Intro:** Hi everyone! This is another attempt at the intro to my first Fanfic: The Making of Masters, detailing the journey of Nicholas Willow as he competes against his brothers, friends, new gym leaders and one very "bad guy" to be a legendary Pokemon Master. Set in the Hoenn Region, expect the unexpected as times have changed, regions are mixing populations of both people and Pokemon and change rarely happens quietly.  
Feel free to write a review, any and all advice will be taken on board. As I've said this is my first Fan Fiction, though not my first attempt at it, so I expect there will still be room for further improvement in the work. More to come of course, I expect to upload one chapter a week (I'll aim for Tuesdays at the moment, keeping in mind that I'm in Australia, so this might throw times off for some people).  
So, read on, enjoy and let me know what you guys think!

Chapter 1: The Brothers and their Dream

To be the best. You heard it a lot, the best there ever was. To the Willow brothers these were not just sprayed on some tacky Pokemon League commercial. They were going to do it. Even before they had turned ten and been allowed to catch their own Pokemon. They had listened intently in school to anything Pokemon related, absorbed it all like sponges. They had read magazines, tactical guides and even novels about the kinds of adventures people had with their Pokemon.

At the trainer school in Oldale Town they made a show of your first Pokemon. To own a Pokemon was a big deal, the biggest of deals. Many parents who were better off than the Willows could just buy a Pokemon for their child. Not the Willow parents and not just because of the money involved. The first Pokemon was earned, never given. Either way the school was where this show took place. On your tenth birthday if you had not already bought or owned a Pokemon you were permitted to leave the school at lunchtime and go in search of one for the rest of the school day. If you came back successful (which everyone did), then the work that had been missed out on was excused. It was a sweet deal. The other kids put aside schoolyard squabbles and cheered you on and bid you good luck when you left.

It was a tradition that Oldale Town kept up lovingly, to spur on the next generation of trainers, onto bigger and brighter things. With a perfectly accessible Gym just a days hike to the east, the townsfolk believed strongly that their picturesque little haven was ideal for raising young talent. This was not dissimilar to Littleroot Town to the South, which despite its size had raised a few notable Champions in its time.

Of the Willow brothers Sam, the eldest, had been first to have his chance. Top of his class, a real natural. His teacher and classmates all expected big things from him. He did not disappoint. He returned before lunch had even ended, having gone into the woodland that surrounded the town as most trainers did. Walking behind the still growing lad as he reentered the schoolyard was a Kadabra.

His classmates gawked. An evolved Pokemon?! Furthermore, there had been a chance for it to teleport away and avoid capture altogether. When asked how he could've possibly achieved this, he showed off the ball it had been caught in: an Ultra ball! He had saved his pocket money valiantly and purchased a few to sneak in his bag on the big day. That, with a touch of luck had proven enough.

The youngest, Jack Willow, had also managed an infamous, yet unorthodox capture. He had snuck out at night as soon as midnight had signaled the beginning of his tenth birthday. In the dark of the woods he had happened upon a Gastly, a first within the school. The Willow parents were less than pleased at his methods but could not hide their pride at a notable first Pokemon.

Nicholas Willow was different. Jack had not yet caught his Gastly and so the reputation of his family had been built solely on the incredible capture of his older brother. He needed something impressive. Something powerful. Something rare. As it turned out his capture, however ludicrously rare, could not compete with an evolved Pokemon.

His heart hammered in his chest as he wove his way through the trees. He could not contain his swelling excitement, he could only continue putting one foot in front of the other, head darting around for any sign of movement. A Kadabra had been here once and now it walked beside his brother. Perhaps other rare Pokemon now roamed these woods. It was possible. Throughout the years Pokemon migration and an influx of immigrants from other regions had seen the boundaries of Pokemon ecosystems effectively shattered and re shuffled. It had been rough on natural species at first but, over time a new harmony had been found. Now Pokemon whose species originated from any region had all found homes across the other regions. It certainly made a stroll through the woods more interesting, and first encounters all the more diverse.

In all his snappy attention he had forgotten to look at the most important place: where he was walking. A large tree root tripped the trainer and sent him tumbling down a steep drop in the land, heavily coated in dry leaves. He tumbled and rolled a painfully long way until the ground leveled out and he landed, face first into the bracken.

He groaned loudly. In his dazed stupor he had trouble figuring out if there any part of him that didn't feel like hell. He forced his eyes open and his vision came in a watery haze of green and various other colors that stemmed from the diverse, native flowers that Oldale Town was known for. Movement in his field of vision cleared his eyes quickly and he bolted upright. It was a Pokemon. His heart jumped in his chest and felt like it was caught in his throat. A shiny Pokemon, a shiny Ralts. It was small though, with the growing lad's long, gangly build it barely came up past his knees. He thanked Arceus that his sudden movement to stand had not frightened away the little treasure.

A hand moved instinctively into one of his backpack's side pockets and withdrew a Pokeball. 'Hey there, little Ralts,' he said quietly, before lobbing the ball at it. The first capture was always tricky, without another Pokemon to weaken it capture was never guaranteed. However for young Pokemon it was perfectly possible.

The ball shook once, 'Good sign,' he breathed. Another, 'Come on,' he said, speaking up now. But the ball came apart before his eyes and in a flash of light, and a distinctive sparkle, the Ralts was back before him. The Ralts looked confused, as though the concept of what was occurring was foreign to it. That was good, lest the attempted capture scare it away.

Feeling around in his side pockets he ascertained that he had three balls left. Of course, there were more in his bag, but when dealing with wild Pokemon, time and focus were a factor. He didn't want to take his eyes off of it, still in disbelief at what he had found. He threw two more at it, the Ralts seemed more curious than anything else and did not move much. But each time the Ralts reappeared. He would not lose this!

"Think!" he told himself. Surely there was something more to be done. It was native and Nick had read a thing or two about them, they were supposedly attuned to the emotions of people and other Pokemon. Maybe its excitement had reached it, maybe even made it more rowdy and difficult to catch. 'Ok, calm down…' he said softly, taking a few deep breaths. Talking seemed to help his heat rate slow, and seemed to keep the Pokemon's interest. 'Just chill out for a bit…we're just having a bit of fun, right?'

'Ralts,' it answered simply, holding its ground, though whether it agreed with his statement or not he couldn't guess.

He tried his best to think happy thoughts, to think of his joy if he were to capture such a rarity. Thoughts of the good times they would have together from that day forward. Share in their triumphs, catch other Pokemon, make friends and become strong. He smiled at the thoughts and they filled him with a warmth that spread through his chest. Suddenly, the Ralts began moving towards him, its tiny feet barely noticeable beneath the crinkling leaves.

Was this happening? Was it actually responding to his thoughts, his hopes and dreams? He almost shook his head in disbelief. It continued its approach until it actually stood before him. He could've leaned over and patted its head. Kneeling before it, they two assessed each other. The next ball he withdrew he didn't even throw. There was no need. He showed it to the Ralts, and it inspected the device closely.

'Let's try this one more time…' he muttered, before gently poking the Ralts's head with the ball, as with before it seemed to become little more than light, and vanished into the ball. His grin grew wider with each shake of the ball. On that exalted little "click!" that came with a secured capture, he could've jumped for joy, shouted and ran back up the hill. But he only sighed in relief. 'It's done…thanks little buddy.'

He collected his things, along with the three used Pokeballs that still sat nearby and began walking back towards the town. He was overwhelmed with his first encounter. His joy would be short-lived however, his classmates were not as easily impressed. If he thought he would be welcomed back a champion he would be rudely awakened.


	2. The things they said

I do not own Pokemon or any characters therein other than my OCs.

Chapter 2: The things they said

At first they had been ecstatic, once word had gotten around of the rarity of shiny Pokemon.

'It must be super strong then, right?' A girl in the class exclaimed loudly as Nick placed the little Pokemon on his desk, looking proud.

'Actually,' their teacher, Mrs. Strathorn explained, 'the change is purely cosmetic. That means it just looks really neat, children.' The broad woman stood and walked over to examine the class's guest. She had the kind of face that always looked like it was carved from stone, deadly serious. On many occasions she was, an inexorable bulwark to the order of the classroom. On the first day she had slammed her yard stick onto the blackboard so hard it had snapped in half with force and sound enough to shock everyone into a deathly silence. She did not follow up with a shrill yell for order, instead she put on her most civilized voice and asked, "Anyone have any questions?" The whole class had erupted in laughter at the contrast and she could not stifle her own grin.

Yes, Strath was a tricky one, but after a few weeks her students could always tell which way she was leaning. Nicholas had decided he'd liked her before even entering her class. She certainly kept things interesting. On a student's tenth birthday it was obvious, she seemed to have a soft spot for new Pokemon. She eyed down the Ralts on Nicholas's desk. 'Well aren't you precious?'

She took out a Pokedex and briefly ran its scanner over the Ralts. 'Female. Got a name for her, or is it just to be Ralts?'

'I…I like nicknames, but I'm not sure yet. I'll think of something.'

'I'm sure you will, lad,' she said, placing a strong hand on his shoulder.

'So, it's just like a normal one?' The girl asked suddenly.

'That's rubbish!' a boy declared, shouting from the far side of the room. That one declaration had proved enough and the class blew into a frenzy.

'Can it even attack?' said one of the boy's friends. Other people started to voice their agreements, convinced that the Pokemon was entirely incapable of fighting.

'W-what? It's a Ps-Psychic type guys. Of course it can attack,' Nick said back, barely becoming audible over the din of the class.

'Prove it!' some spat.

'Show us!' others choired.

Ralts turned back to its trainer, clearly disturbed by all the racket, and more so due to the signals it was undoubtedly receiving from its trainer.

'Ralts?' he said quietly, looking down at it, 'can you use confusion?'

It complied immediately, or rather, attempted to. It strained its brain and focused on a pencil on a nearby desk. No glow enveloped either it or the Pokemon, as was normal of psychic attacks. It could not be done.

The impressive woman above them raised her hulking fist high into the air. Several months into the semester as they were, the students knew what was coming and their uproar ceased. It seemed to be the only thing stopping them from erupting in laughter at the Pokémon's failed effort.

'You caught a rare Pokemon today Nicholas,' she said slowly, and in a much softer voice than anyone expected, 'be happy with it, treat it well and it will treat you well. I will talk with you after class. As for the rest of you, don't you have work to do?'

Her voice was soft but her meaning was not lost on his classmates: there would not be another word about the Ralts. And so there wasn't. Not loud words anyway.

When the bell chimed and drowned out all else at the end of the day Nicholas did as he was bid and stayed behind. When the other students had left Mrs. Strathorn smiled him over. He sat in a chair next to her desk, Ralts in his lap. The Pokemon had relaxed visibly as the class had emptied.

'Is it really that bad, Miss?' he asked, the teacher raising a hand in response to signal silence.

She shook her head, 'Of course not, my child. No Pokemon is ever as bad as those little ratbags make it out to be. Psychic types are powerful, and Ralts has two evolutions to go through yet. I trust you know by now how it synchronizes itself with your emotions?'

'Yes, Miss,' he confirmed with a little nod.

'Good. Ralts as a Pokemon can wither or flourish depending entirely on you. Your mental attitude, your resilience. Your attitude towards it, battles, life in general, it will feel and respond to them all in kind.'

'So…if I can be strong, then so can Ralts?'

'Sure can! But Pokemon are always harder to train when they don't know a move to attack with, that's for sure. But it pays off if you persevere. And with a Pokemon like that,' she explained, indicating the shiny Pokemon, 'it'll be all the more worthwhile if you do.'

'Like Magikarp into Gyarados?!'

Mrs. Strathorn laughed heartily, 'Not quite as dramatic as that perhaps, but the idea's the same.'

'So how do I get started?'

The mountain of a lady clasped her big hands together, 'Is this not a trainers school, lad? That's what I'm here for! We'll have it train as we do, against dummies in the yard, meditate a bit, I could teach you too while I'm at it, it's a good thing to know how to do with psychic type Pokemon around. We'll have this lil poppet using confusion in no time!'

And so Nicholas Willow left school with his head held high, the head of his new friend peeking out next to his own as it road atop of his backpack, little hand holding onto his shoulder as it looked around in wonder. Its sparkle caught the sun and reminded him of how lucky he was. But the sneers of the other students hung over him like a cloud.

"Useless" they had jeered in class, on notes that they sneaked around the desks until they reached him, just to make sure he saw. The supreme authority of the teacher was not enough to deter them from making sure he knew the magnitude of his inadequacy.

Picking up Ralts from atop his bag and holding it with him as he walked, the Ralts made a small sound of agreement. It didn't look like much, but still he smiled. In truth it was quite adorable. The smile didn't last. He liked Ralts, but it seemed like he was the only one in his class that did. Adorable? He hadn't wanted an adorable Pokemon, he'd wanted something impressive. It was his, but it was nothing compared to a Kadabra.

His parents would want to see what he'd caught, his brothers as well. He sighed heavily, wishing he and his new Pokemon could disappear or a while.

Their parent's arrangement declared that any of the sons were free to leave and become proper trainers at the conclusion of that year. Not all students did, many wanted to but weren't allowed. But Pokemon battles and training were not for everyone, and the world needed learned people more than it needed trainers. Some people would return after a few weeks, their minds concluded that they were not meant to be trainers. If intellectual pursuits were of interest, the trainer's school was designed to teach more than Pokemon related subjects and would welcome them back like they were family. Either way, the system worked.

But that failure, the capacity to go off into the world but be forced to come sniveling back home, was what terrified Nicholas Willow the most. So he trained with Mrs. Strathorn and, though it took time, Ralts did eventually learn confusion. He shied away from battle for the time being however, dummies and real battles were two very different things.

Sam Willow left at the conclusion of his year, a ghost to the town, a memory of someone who had started strong and the promise of someone who would become great. When Nicholas had earned his leave of Oldale town, from both his parents and his teacher, he felt anything but ready.

The night after his send off from the school he sat in his room, a cramped but modern abode filled with only a bed, a plain bench and chair and a tiny set of shelves where he stored books and novelties. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands, which were held up by his knees. His legs shook visibly in the dim light of only a single candle.

"To be the best," he thought to himself. "How the hell is that going to work? I haven't had the nerve the battle anyone yet…and this is Oldale Town! I'm expected to go off into the world and beat accomplished trainers, these "Gym Leaders". They're probably badass. And here I am with…a Ralts."

It looked up at him, very much the same as when he first encountered it in the forest that surrounded the town. 'I'm sorry, Estella,' he said to the outline of his Pokemon in the dark, addressing her by the nickname he had decided upon. 'Something as rare as you could've done better than me.'

Ralts made a little grumble, like a growl. One of the few things it could do besides Confusion. 'Look, even if we had a go at it, there's no way I could catch up to my brother. You've never met him but…he's focused, ruthless, and devastating in battles. And what are we? A lanky bookworm and a blue-topped marshmallow!' Nicholas slammed his fist into the mattress of his bed, a pair of tears rolling down his cheeks.

The Ralts's grumble grew louder. Its head even seemed to puff up. It held its ground and stared down the still involuntarily trembling trainer. He couldn't tell whether it was nerves or frustration at his own weakness, but he could not help but shake.

The little Pokemon levitated itself up onto the bed next to him by using Confusion on itself, grumbling all the while. Nicholas sighed, 'Right. I guess I should stop feeling sorry for myself or something. Will probably just bring you down…' Still he made no motion to move.

Suddenly, the candle was not the only source of light in the room. Estella was illuminated by a light of her own, not the purple glow of Confusion, but a bright, white light. Nicholas blinked and the tears that had welled in his eyes blurred his vision, adding to the dazzling display that was evolution. The Pokemon he had caught began to change and grow.

'Looks like "marshmallow" is out of the question now, eh?' he muttered as he stared with undisguised awe.

When the light faded he beheld a very new but not entirely dissimilar Pokemon. The color pattern and overall look was the same, but it was not the stumbling little Pokemon he had known for most of the year. Its eyes were large and open and it had grown taller and more agile looking. One thing had certainly not changed during the evolution though: its mood.

What had been difficult to detect in Ralts was clear to the trainer now as he sat next to the larger Pokemon, it was not pleased. 'Wh-what's the matter, Estella?'

"What's the matter?! What's gotten into you?!"

Nicholas almost jumped off of the bed and onto the floor. He had heard it! Estella had talked to him. No, not quite right. He had not heard it, not aloud anyway. The voice had jumped into his head. But it was young and feminine and most certainly that of his new Kirlia.

'Since when can I hear what you think?' he shot back in disbelief.

It blinked and looked around, "You heard that?" she said, or rather, "thought" to him. He nodded. "Maybe it's my new psychic powers…but more importantly, what's happened to you? You took me to training every day with that big lady and we worked really hard, even when neither of us wanted to! We tried and tried, we worked forever until I could use Confusion! Now, what, you're not ready? I'm not ready? We worked for this and if you think I'm going to sit around and wait for you to dry your eyes then you're very wrong!"

'Wait…so just because I was down, doesn't mean you get down as well?'

Kirlia seemed to stick its nose up at the trainer, 'Humph! Just because I can sense your emotions, doesn't mean I have to mimic them. I can think what I want about them and right now I think you're being ridiculous.'

'Fair enough,' he muttered. 'Didn't know you had such a strong opinion on the matter. I guess when all you can do is crawl around and say "Ralts" there's not much for me to go on. So, what now?'

Estella placed her hand on her chin and seemed to be thinking. "I only know one attacking move…but that doesn't really matter! I say we go for it. We'll battle someone from school tomorrow. If we win, we'll go, if we lose, we'll stay and work harder. I'll evolve again if I have to! But…no really, don't make me do that again, once is enough for now."

Nicholas laughed, 'Sorry about that. I guess I needed a wakeup call….' He stood and turned on the lights to the room. This turn of events did not suit the candlelit atmosphere.

"What happened anyway? We were working so hard."

Nicholas shook his head. 'Forget about it. It's just what they said, on the day we met. Sure, Mrs. Strathorn was a great help, but it was one positive for a whole class of negative. I guess it got to me.'

"Get over them. We're smarter than them. We've worked harder than them. They're nothing to us. We'll show them tomorrow, all of them."

Again Nick found himself laughing. He had not expected to be talking to his Pokemon and wondered is Sam could talk to Kadabra the same way. Estella had flipped the game on its head, now he felt ready to begin.


	3. The First Step is the Hardest

**Note: Hi everyone! I had originally written one chapter, but it was as big as both my previous chapters put together . So you guys get a double feature this week. What do you guys think about the length of chapters? I figured I'd try to keep their length semi-consistent and not try to make any one chapter ridiculously long. Anyway, enjoy! And as always, if you see something I could improve on or that you like in the work, let me know, any feedback is greatly appreciated.**

Chapter 3: The First Step is the Hardest

Nick's alarm blared loudly the next morning. So loud in fact that it gave him a mini heart attack, though he was accustomed to the noise he'd never truly gotten used to it. He woke with a jolt and flailed his arms wildly until a hand finally landed on the alarm's top button and silenced it. He sunk back into silence and his bed slowly.

He felt Estella next to him rise shortly after the alarm and wander downstairs. "Probably breakfast…" he thought groggily.

He rolled over to face the wall his bed sat against and neared sleep again. The minutes ticked by and his heart gradually slowed after his encounter with his dreaded alarm. He barely heard the light Pokemon make its way back into the room, but he did feel something poke the back of his head. He sighed inwardly. This had become Estella's way of saying "get your bum out of bed" before she could use telepathy.

"You're not going to win today from your bed," she thought to him.

'St…stupid plan. Can't I stay home and…become a baker or something. It'd be easier that way…'

Estella huffed loudly and started to tap her foot expectantly on the floor before the bed. He heard her munch on a Pokemon food pellet. "Ok, jokes over. Please get up!"

Nick raised a hand slowly and waved her away. 'In a bit. We've got all day to battle just one person…'

"This is the day everyone leaves!" she said with a definitive stomp on the floor. The effort in the gesture seemed lost on her trainer, her little foot still barely making a sound. "If we wait around for too long we'll miss our chance!"

'Wouldn't that…be a shame,' he said sarcastically between a yawn. He settled down again and made no indication of getting out of bed.

Again Estella began to growl her displeasure, "Ok well I think this has gone on long enough. You can't run forever sir. Today's the day!" she said. In the dim light of the early morning the purple glow of her confusion caught his attention and he eased his eyelids open.

Without warning his blanket was flung off and he was left exposed to the chill of the morning. He groaned loudly and rolled over, eyes half open to glare irritably at his Pokemon. Estella smiled back and continued to pluck pellets from a bowl she'd brought up and eat them one at a time without a word. Her smug look did little to improve his mood.

'I think I liked you better when you couldn't use psychic abilities or nag me with telepathy.'

Her smile only widened, 'And I liked you better when you weren't a lazy Slugma, now let's get out there and win!'

'Right…winning, yeah alright,' he finally relented, pulling himself up off of his bed slowly. 'Let's go do that.'

He wandered downstairs and fought his way through breakfast, eyes half open. His parents were already downstairs, his father tidying the kitchen, his mother drinking coffee and playing a puzzle game on a flat, portable device.

'How about that, huh? Didn't think Estella would evolve without a few battles under her belt first. But I suppose you guys do work really hard after school,' his father said, not looking up from his dishwashing.

'Thank goodness for that Mrs. Strathorn is all I'll say,' his mother chipped in, 'otherwise you'd be here forever. Today's the day, right? Going to go out into the world and show everyone what you've worked for?'

'I want…to see if I'm ready. I'm going to try battling one of the students. If I lose, then I don't think Estella and I can handle an adventure yet.'

'You'll be fine,' his father assured him. 'What's more important is that you know why you're going out on an adventure in the first place. You've got a reason, don't you?'

Nicholas shrugged, 'I'll get stronger…I'll meet lots of Pokemon and form bonds with them…'

His parent chuckled and his cheeks grew hot, 'What? Not good enough?'

'Those things are synonymous with trainer journeys. I was more asking for _your_ reason. What do you want to get out of all of this?'

'Well...' Nick had to stop and think for a moment. 'I can't let Sam show me up…'

His father turned away from the kitchen bench to face him, a heavy scowl ready for him, 'Don't make this about your brother. Your journey is yours and yours only. He wants to be the best, and you bet he's out there every day with that in mind. What do you want?'

'I guess it's something I always thought would be fun. I'd learn a lot about battling, Pokemon and everything else. I'd make friends…but I'm going to shoot for the top as well!'

His father grinned, 'That's more like it. Pokemon and strength are almost every trainer's goal. But to experience the world, really take it in: that's a fine goal too. Go find your Pokemon. You've both got a battle to get to.'

'Yeah…that tends to work best when everyone hasn't skipped town,' he agreed, finishing his breakfast quickly before hurrying back upstairs. He found Estella using Confusion to fold clothes and pack them, along with other supplies, into his outdoor backpack.

'Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?'

Estella shook her head. "I'm practicing Confusion. And folding these is tricky, it's great for practicing finer control."

'Yeah well can we take off? I don't know when most trainers head off but Sam was gone before I even woke up. He only had time to say goodbye to mum and dad…people could already be leaving.'

"Don't stress. I looked out the window and we must've thought wrong. People aren't even around yet. Honestly I'm not even sure we'll find someone."

Nick blinked, 'You dragged me out of bed because we'd miss them!' He leaned against the wall and sank into a sitting position with a groan.

'Well I'm up now so let's get out there. The guys from Sinnoh will be out there for sure. They're actually not pains in the neck too which is nice. And we can avoid too many people watching, sounds perfect to me.'

"Does it matter that they're from Sinnoh? Are you saying people from Sinnoh notoriously get out of bed early?" she thought, the tone of her mental voice making suggestion sound silly.

Nick laughed lightly, 'They're hard workers is all; they don't waste time. People say Sinnoh natives are worker bees. They get things done but don't gloat about it, mustn't be worth the time to do it. I think people still feel like they're being shown up though, they tend to take a lot of lip because of it.'

The Kirlia looked up at her trainer, "You're not like that, are you? I've never seen you badmouth someone…but, do you think things like that about the worker bees?"

Nick shrugged, 'You have to admire their determination, right? They're not bad people, I think others just imagine it. Rico and Bao are nice enough anyway.'

Estella smiled, "I knew you weren't a bad person when you caught me. Out there all alone, I was pretty nervous. A lot of Pokemon out there are bigger and meaner than me, especially since I was a Ralts. And I…" she stopped, looking at the floor, hands behind her back, looking sheepish, "and I have trouble hiding. You know, with my sparkle? I'm…glad you found me…"

Nicholas was taken aback. 'Thanks Stella. I was so excited to find you, I didn't want to mess things up. I'm glad I did find you though, really. I like your spirit...'

"Well I've got to show everyone that I'm not just a pretty sparkle," she thought to him as she started to bounce around, throwing little punches into the air.

Together they stepped out into the morning chill and wandered towards the school. Nick stumbled along in his still drowsy state. Estella on the other hand bounded along the sandy path between the lush grass that covered most of the town, skipping and occasionally leaping forward.

'I see you're enjoying your evolved form.'

"Of course!" she replied in a sing-song sort of way. "I was stuck in your backpack for months! Warm and cozy as it was, stretching my legs is much better!"

She leapt back towards him gracefully, twirled to face their walking direction and began skipping in smaller strides next to him. 'But I'll always come back to you.'

Nicholas smiled down at his Pokemon and took her hand as they walked. 'Have I been a good trainer so far? I was so worried about what everyone else was thinking about us that I never stopped to think about it, but what you said about being glad you found me…have I been a good trainer?'

Estella nodded, 'Kir-li!' she cried. In his mind he heard her continue silently, "Wasn't the biggest fan of being called a "little blue marshmallow" last night, but you weren't yourself then. The rest of the time you did all you could just so I could learn an attack. Other people might have hid me away, or waited to catch another Pokemon to make training easier. But not you. You…stuck by me," she looked away and grumbled, "I guess…I should say…thanks or something."

They stopped briefly, Estella looking confused for a moment. Nicholas placed a hand on her head tenderly, 'You're my first Pokemon. Around here that's a big deal. More than that, you and I are buddies. We've trained together and played together. Those months of training weren't for nothing. You and I _will_ go far. I just need to know if we're ready.'

"We are," was all she said.


	4. Sink or Swim

Chapter 4: Sink or Swim

They approached the schoolyard and sure enough Rico and Bao, the two Sinnoh students of the class sat on a bench near the playground. 'I have an idea…this could be funny…'

'Kir?' his Pokemon replied, looking up at him, big eyes wide with wonder.

'We'll surprise them with your new form,' he said. Estella nodded and grinned mischievously and her trainer returned her to her Pokeball.

Rico and Bao had taken their fair share of lip from the other students, probably more than Nick had himself. A memory sprang into his mind on a day that he had needed to do extra schoolwork inside at lunch, a few months back. Other students were all outside, playing and running about manically. Nothing new. Bao and Rico had been inside, reading up about the current Gym Leaders of Hoenn. Also nothing new.

"It'd be easier if they just stayed at their Gyms. Leaders these days think they can just do whatever they want, we're the ones who are going to have to put in the extra work for that badge."

"Umm…hey," Nick had called to them. Absorbed in their conversation as they were they did not respond, until Nick walked up to them and tried again.

"What's it going to be? Bookworm, stumpy, four-eyes? Or something a little more generic like "loser" or "nerd"?"

Nick had looked shocked, "Wh-What? I'm not here to call you names. I mean, do people actually waste their lunchtime to do that to you guys?"

"You'd be surprised. You know how Kalos people are and you know what they say about us. All work and no play, boring or just dull. The list can be a little more…colorful than that."

"You're not doing yourselves any favors by sitting in here every lunch time…"

Rico sneered back, "Got a problem with sitting inside? The yard's crazy at lunch, people running everywhere. Mrs. Strathorn always says there's time to talk at lunch and not in class. So we do, we talk about stuff. When we want to battle and be outside, well we can do that to. Like after school…"

"Yeah…it's quiet then. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I was agreeing with them," he explained.

Rico nodded, "We see you working with the teacher and your Ralts, using struggle against those training dummies…"

Nick had turned his eyes to the floor and looked sheepish. "You know about that, huh? Does it look as dumb as it feels?"

Bao shook his head, and knocked Nick with a fist gently, "Hell no! You and Ralts have nothing, but you're still out there, doing the only thing you can. You'll get there eventually. We'll battle when you do."

From then on Nicholas decided that he liked those two. It was comforting to know that his efforts had not gone unnoticed, and their own intense interest in preparing for their journeys inspired him at times. Battling had always been a different matter for Nicholas. The time when Estella had learnt Confusion had come and gone and they had never had their battle. His attention was pulled back to the present as they noticed him and called him over.

'Yo, shiny man!' Rico called, waving over the noticeably taller trainer.

'So, you heading out soon?' Bao asked, adjusting his glasses to avoid the glare of the early morning sun over the nearby canopy of the forest.

'Not sure really…'

'Well…today's the big day, you know that, right? You got your Ralts to learn an attack, do you want more than that?'

'Actually…I need to know I can battle. Anyone up for it?'

'About time,' Rico said simply. The pair was used to training against one another daily. Battling was nothing new, for them at least. To sit back at school and never battle anyone was close to unthinkable for them.

'First time right? Well we said we'd battle someday, I'll take this one, Rico. Bao threw his Pokeball to the floor casually, as though they'd done it a thousand times. Nick's heart sank as the thought struck him that they just might have.

The brown furry Pokemon that was Bao's Eevee scurried around their legs and the bench they sat on. 'That thing looks like it's ready to go! Guess you and your Pokemon are all early risers?'

Rico scoffed, 'If only!' he releaed his Pokemon as well, a Squirtle. The others tried to quell their snickering, it was asleep in its shell.

'It's fine. We were just waiting around anyway. Would've battled at some point but I'd rather see what your hard work's done,' he said. The stout young man stood and wandered over to the open space that led to the playground, a plain, open field of sand and gravel.

'Eevee!' he called presently. The little Pokemon rushed over to the open space in front of a playground where the students usually battled. 'Say, doesn't your Ralts usually walk with you?'

'Yeah, but today's different, right? I want to practice my throw…' he lied, before throwing his Pokeball towards the field, his Kirlia bursting forth with a dazzling shine.

Bao did a slight double take, before looking back at his friend, who chuckled, uncertainty strewn across his face as if to say "you're on your own now, buddy."

'First battle or not…I think this just got interesting,' Bao declared, adjusting his glasses and pointing decisively towards his opponent. 'Eevee, tackle!'

The jittery little Pokemon had been wandering around the field, nose to the floor, sniffing at anything it could find. At its trainer's orders it stopped what it was doing burst toward Estella at a breakneck pace, like a small, furry bullet, kicked-up dust spewing from it as it ran.

'You know what to do Estella, but keep clear of it.'

"Obviously…" she said, before leaping as she had done during their walk, directly over the approaching Eevee. Her jump this time however was perhaps too spirited, and while she cleared the Eevee easily, she also landed hard on the dusty ground, her knees buckling with the impact.

'It's coming back,' he warned. But the size of the jump, larger than should be normal for your average Pokemon of that size, left the Kirlia dazed momentarily. A moment was all the little freight train needed.

By the time Estella found her feet again and looked around the field it was too late and the Eevee rushed headlong into Kirlia, sending her tumbling painfully against the dirt and gravel of the field.

"Ow!" she cried telepathically to him, "how does something that small hit like a truck?!"

'You have to be quick Estella, up and Confusion!'

Kirlia shook her head and jumped to her feet, finding the little Pokemon some distance away, looking for its next ideal chance to charge.

Bao adjusted his glasses and grinned, 'Kirlia's not the sturdiest of Pokemon physically, and Eevee's normal type Tackle attack is stronger than you'd think. I was nervous at first, but I think I'll be fine.'

Nick's eyes sharpened at his opponent. As though it would be easy for him? That could not be. He would not make it so. To work so hard, only to be walked over by an Eevee? Not if he had anything to say about it.

'You think so?!' he challenged, willing all of his growing energy to Kirlia, hoping that her emotive senses picked up on his vigor. 'Estella, do your thing!'

Her head snapped towards the Eevee and, with a strong hand gesture at it, her hand glowed purple. Soon after, so did Eevee.

Bao's smirk vanished, 'Damn, that was stupid of me.'

Raising her hand, the Kirlia drew the Pokemon up into the air with Psychic power, before slamming it down into the ground, causing it to let out a loud yelp of pain. The aura vanished as a result, she would need to focus and use Confusion again for another such hit. But she was not the only one hurting now, she smiled at the evening playing field.

'Eevee, Tackle again, but mix it up this time!'

With a determined cry the Eevee bolted towards Estella yet again. As she focused again and her hand began to glow, the Eevee bounded off of its straight line at a perfectly right angle, rushing along to the side, all without changing its ridiculous pace.

'It's so agile!' Nick said in shock, 'Estella, try and get hold of it!'

Kirlia grumbled on the far side of the field, 'It's too quick!'

Whenever her hand glowed and she began to follow its movements it would change direction, feeling the pull of Estella's psychic energy on it. At every pinpoint turn and bound it was free, moving unexpectedly but always closer to its target.

As it closed in Estella's eyes screwed shut, "This is going to hurt!"

Seeing this, the Eevee took to its headlong approach again and charged home with added ferocity, pummeling Kirlia's front and sending her well off her feet.

She landed near Bao, bruises and cuts evident on her skin. 'Estella! How are you holding up?'

Struggling to her feet, she eyed her opponent warily, without a thought to be heard. Eevee was scratching the dusty field with one of its front paws, ready for another attack already.

It charged without warning or order from its trainer, Estella once again closed her eyes. But no connection was made this time. In a slight flash of light, so quick one could have missed it if they blinked, Estella was out of the path of the Eevee and closer to her trainer.

Nick briefly marveled at her use of Teleport, a move he wasn't even aware she could use, but even more impressed with its results, as Eevee tumbled without restraint or control into its trainer, winding him and knocking him onto his back.

'That's a new trick…' he mumbled.

Kirlia looked back at him, panting heavily, "New to me too...'

As was his instinct, Nick jogged over to his opponent to check on him, Estella in tow. Rico was laughing, something he didn't hear all that often, thankfully Bao and his Pokemon began to join in.

'No seriously, tell me: did your Kirlia know it could do that?'

Estella shrugged as it thought to its trainer, "I wanted to be near you again…" When her trainer smiled compassionately at his Pokemon she quickly added, "and…I really didn't want to take another Tackle! That might've been it for me if I had."

Relaying this information to the others caused them to laugh even harder. 'Well, that battle's not done,' Rico said when his fit subsided.

'Yes and no. Technically we interfered with the field, despite neither side winning definitively,' Bao explained, 'But I think this will do for now. You said you weren't sure if you were ready to leave yet, that you wanted to see if you could battle. What do you think?'

Nick scratched his head, 'We'd said if we lost today then we weren't ready and if we won than we'd go. How does that work now?'

Bao thought for a moment, 'Hmm, I don't think it's that black and white. Leaving that decision to whether or not you could beat someone who'd probably been battling for most of the year, on your first try? Sounds like a big ask of yourself. But hey, since you did it anyway, what do you think, are you ready?'

'I…maybe?' he said, stumbling across his words meekly. 'I mean we were on the back foot that whole battle, we only got one good hit in and only because you lost focus. I don't think we could've won…'

He looked down at his Pokemon, who looked back with big, eager eyes. 'But we actually did pretty well. It was a great experience. Fun even! I'd...like to get used to it, what better place to do that then on the road? What do you think, Estella?'

To answer his question Estella posed enthusiastically, one foot far forward, an extended hand pointing towards the horizon, like a brave explorer beckoning the unknown. 'Kir-li-a!' it cried, which translated into her telepathic thoughts as: "We. Are. Out of here!"

The others laughed at her spirit in approval. Nick found himself smiling widely like an idiot. 'Ok then! I mean…it's not like we actually lost…'

'Not yet anyway,' Rico chimed in.

'Thanks for that,' he replied off-handedly.

'Anytime, shiny man!'

'And what's with the "shiny man" thing?'

Another nonchalant shrug, 'It's what people call you. You're "the guy with the shiny ralts", well, Kirlia now.'

Both Nicholas and his Pokemon took sour expressions at that, 'Soon I'll be the guy with the shiny Kirlia that kicks everyone's hide. Who says all this stuff anyway? You guys know my name and so does most of the class I'd think.'

'People,' Bao concluded, 'The Kalos natives I think. Take Andrew for example, you know how he can be.'

'With his nose so high in the air that if it rained, he'd drown?' Rico offered with a snicker.

'It's a shame really. Coloring their hair, dressing up and flashy and not giving heads or tails what people think of it all. Must be nice…' Nick consented.

'To be that snooty? I'll pass,' Bao said as he returned his Eevee to its ball, only just out of breath from the battle.

Nick shook his head, 'They can say what they want about us, we just have to use it to our advantage, right? We'll prove them all wrong. Estella and I will take them all down someday.'

Rico chuckled, 'Ok, Ok, calm down hero. There are people out there who can beat us without too much trouble. Like Andrew,' he said, the name forcing a distinct note of distaste into his voice, 'as much as I hate to admit it.'

'Go get a badge off Flax, the Gym Leader in Petalburg City,' Bao suggested, 'and then people will start to take notice. Get as pumped as you want but until you start doing, rather than talking you'll never get to the top.'

Nick grinned widely, 'Right! We'd better go get our things together! I'm sure I'll catch you guys on the road at some point. You guys off to see the Gym Leader as well?'

'Most of the students plan on heading that way from what we hear. We'll see. We'll probably catch some more Pokemon first, train them for a while. Preparation's key against Gym Leaders. Know who you're up against and you can knock them down,' Bao explained.

'That sounds about right for you two, thanks for all your help guys. For now, I've got to go get ready,' Nicholas declared, voice no longer weighed down with doubt.

"It's about time…" Estella chimed.


	5. To Stand Tall

Chapter 5: To Stand Tall

Nicholas Willow rushed through the door when he arrived home, barely giving time to close the door, Estella at his heels. His father would be out at work by now at the local PokeMart, his mother lent a hand with admin work down at the trainer school, but today was still home to be offended as he rushed in without a word.

'So I guess a "hello" is out of the question?' she asked curtly.

'Oh!' he called, stopping his flight up the stairs abruptly. His Kirlia ran into his back without time to slow down and wobbled unsteadily on the stairs. He turned and with the adrenaline from his race home he snatched her flailing hand and steadied her. Despite it being his fault for her near accident, she smiled and curtsied, the motion looking perfectly natural on the graceful Pokemon.

He backed down the stairs sheepishly and stepped into the kitchen entrance. 'Sorry 'bout that, but I've got packing to do!'

His mother threw up her hands, 'Thank heavens! So it went well then? Who'd you end up beating?'

'No one!' he said, placing his hand affectionately on Kirlia's head as she appeared next to him in the doorway. His mother looked as though he'd grown an extra head, so he quickly added, 'We found Bao and Rico in the schoolyard. We fought Bao and his Eevee, had a little accident and it was called off. Not before we got a taste for it though.'

His mum nodded slowly, 'I see…but you seem sure now. You're actually doing this?'

He gave her a thumbs up, Estella trying to mirror the motion though she lacked the digits. 'We'll give it our best. No one's going to tell us we can't or shouldn't anymore. We'll leave as soon as we're packed. Is Midge up?'

'Buggered if I know. He hasn't been down here yet, probably enjoying his first sleep in with school finished.'

'Don't suppose he thought he'd have someone to…I don't know, see off today?'

'Not with the way you've been acting lately, mister! Just go get ready,' she ordered with a wave of her hand. The authority of her tone was lost and she let slide a shrill, excited cry, 'I'll tell Jack the good news and he'll be up before you know it, oh how exciting!'

The sendoff was hardly what he expected. Then again he had never really bothered to picture the moment, his mind was always cast further afield to the challenges beyond the town. He'd make sure to drop into his dad's store on the way out. He wouldn't be seeing any of them in some time.

Jack, or "Midge", the youngest Willow brother had shuffled out of bed looking dreary and cold, a thick blanket still draped around him. The sun was making slow work of the brisk air but they could all tell it would soon turn into a pleasant day. Still, the significantly shorter brother, never being much for words, smiled and offered Nick a fist bump and a good luck. The older brother smiled back gratefully. It was enough.

Tears had appeared in his mother's eyes and he could already tell he'd not get away from this without tears of his own. 'You'll be good won't you? Look after Estella, she's such a little treasure. Get plenty of sleep and wash your clothes when you can or the Gym Leaders will smell you before you reach the towns and run away.'

Nick chuckled lightly, 'Actually I think it's my treasure that's going to be looking after me,' he said, looking down at her, pride glittering in his eyes. 'As for the rest, I'm not Sam. It won't just be training all day with food breaks. We want to be comfortable while we travel, right, Estella?'

'Kir!' she said, clapping her hands together, wearing an infectious grin.

'I know…I know you'll be good, just…' it seemed his mother had ran out of words and hugged her son within an inch of his life and the tears flowed. By the end of it her cheeks were not the only ones wet with tears, Nick thought he'd be able to handle goodbyes, but other people crying set him off the same as them. It was one habit amongst many he was working on correcting.

Estella and Jack watched silently. The little Kirlia cried out in surprise as Mrs. Willow rushed over to her and took her up in her arms as well, easily able to hold the slight Pokemon as one would a small child.

'Look after my boy now, you hear? And yourself of course, you cute, little treasure.'

Estella, who had been far too excited with the events of the day to bother being sentimental, now suddenly gushed tears and hugged the woman who'd established herself as the caring backbone of the Willow household over the years. Estella had not known her long, but from the evening Nicholas had brought her home from school Mrs. Willow had doted on the rare Pokemon and treated her like a new daughter, taking to calling her a treasure, due to her sparkle. She had worn the name proudly about the house.

She was returned to her trainer soon, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "Sure you don't want to change my name to "Treasure"? I could get used to that…"

'What, you don't like Estella?'

She giggled and held her hands behind her back, "Just a joke. I'll never be anyone other than your Estella."

They set off and made a straight course to the PokeMart, his father looking neat and professional in his uniform. He didn't need to ask, he saw the travel backpack and swag fit snuggly underneath, both strung over his son's back and his face split into a wide grin.

'My little champ in the making!' he said, breaking the façade of professionalism with a hearty fist pump.

He stepped out from behind the counter. His assistant shot him a concerned glance as the counter filled up with families looking to outfit all the young hopefuls of this year's graduating class with the proper gear. Surveying the situation and realizing who was visiting, the assistant squared his shoulders and continued serving customers for the moment.

The big man bear-hugged his son in a warm manner, then knelt down and repeated for Estella, who was swamped in the embrace briefly. 'Probably copped an earful from your mother. Just…be good. I know you will, both of you. Train hard and write letters.'

Nick nodded. 'I'll let you know when I reach a new town, with any new badges or Pokemon I've earned.'

'Oh! Speaking of, I had a little something set aside in case you came through,' he said, lifting up a rectangular metal tray of items. Half a dozen Potions and ten Pokeballs sat, neatly arranged on its reflective surface. 'Just a little head start. The last thing you need to worry about money, right? I've already scanned it all, don't suppose there's room in that bag?'

Another nod, 'Had to make sure there was enough room for training supplies. They'll fit, though maybe not without exercising my Tetris skills.'

His heavily laden backpack fell to the ground as though it was filled with bricks, but sure enough some room remained at the top of the bag when he opened it. As he packed, his father leant back against the counter. 'Nervous?'

Nicholas didn't look up as he worked, 'A little, but I think that's normal. Excited is a better word.'

Mr. Willow smiled and nodded. As his son stood, ready and willing, he said 'Then what are you still doing here, be off with you both!'

The two rushed out of the shopping, waving their goodbyes enthusiastically. 'They're the best, when you get down to it,' he said to Estella once they were properly out of the story. She smiled and nodded.

The two marched through the streets of Oldale Town proudly, heads held high, his firm gait contrasting with his Kirlia's perky skipping. Nothing would bring these two down. For the first time in his life Nicholas Willow did not keep his eyes to the ground at where he was going, avoiding other people's gaze. He waved at his neighbors and they waved back and smiled. It seemed, even to people who didn't have children setting off, that the day's significance was lost on no one.

The two felt on top of the world as they departed from the town, heading west towards Petalburg and the opportunity to meet their first Gym Leader. As for the battle and the badge, well, they would take their journey in measured steps until they got the hang of it all.

"So…should we go out and find more Pokemon at join our team?" Estella asked as the bustle of the little town was left behind, the vision of it shrinking back into the horizon.

Nicholas closed his eyes and breathed deep, his body relaxed and at ease, 'No need to rush, my dear. We'll build the right team. But we've taken the first step. Right now, that's all that matters.'

The blue Kirlia made a little sound of agreement as she pranced beside him. "I understand."

They had not left all of the town behind however and their heads were torn from the clouds as a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows of the trees that lined the path out of town. Someone he'd had contact with for several years now and wished he hadn't with their every exchange. Blood red hair styled into a tall, wavy pattern like a large flame complemented a black brand named T-shirt and stylish jacket. It could be none other. Andrew, one of his classmates from Kalos, saw fit to obstruct his path.

'Well…well…well,' he said, walking towards the middle Willow brother. 'Didn't think I'd see your sorry hide out this way today. Thought if you'd leave you'd go somewhere…safer. Like Littleroot or something?' He laughed loudly, a noise that worked its way into Nick's skull and ground his every gear. He had heard it too many times before.

He and his Kirlia did not shrivel away at the newcomers booming voice. 'We'll be heading to Petalburg, same as you,' he said simply.

Andrew raised an eyebrow, 'Yeah that's what it looks like. Seriously? A guy who spent most of the year just trying to make his Pokemon able to compete wants to take on a Gym Leader? Ha! Look, buddy, you got the little pixie to evolve, way to go, woohoo. Maybe-'

'Actually she put in the hard work. I think my little "pixie" here had more to do with her own evolution than I did...'

'Missing the point!' Andrew snapped loudly. 'Point is, a squirt like you hasn't got even the smallest chance of making it out there. Period. End of story. Me? Astrid? Even the bookworms. Even they can do more than you. We're the winners, we're going to take Hoenn's Gym's to the cleaners and do it in style!'

Nicholas waited for him to finish his spiel calmly, 'I'll take my chances.'

The laughing, almost joking attitude of Andrew took a nose dive, a chilling glare making the two of them feel small. 'No, you won't. See I'm here representing everyone in Oldale Town. Doing them a service, see? I'm going to wipe the floor with anyone who comes through here from class and turn the pitiful ones back. It'll spare the Town's name from being dragged through the mud out there by you and other saps like you. Get it, buddy?'

A battle with Andrew? Looking down, he saw Estella take a step forward, determination written on her face. He frowned and, for the first time ever since having caught her all those months ago, returned her to her Pokeball.

'I have no intention of battling you, Andrew. My Pokemon and I are going to walk out of this town the same as everyone else.'

Andrew's frown turned into a toothy scowl. 'What?! You think you get to do that, you little sweat stain?!' The volume of his voice scared off a flock of local Tailow. 'You haven't _earned_ the right to be a trainer yet.'

He took an Ultraball from a pocket in his jacket and threw it hard at the ground. With a flash of light his Pokemon took form: a snarling Mightyena. Nick gawked for a moment and then felt like laughing. He then proceeded to laugh, perhaps louder than he anticipated. Andrew stomped the dusty path with his foot and pointed accusingly at his prey.

'You think this is some kind of joke?! Think I won't do it?!'

'Do what?' Nick replied, the little laugh still caught in his voice. 'My Pokemon is in its Pokeball and I'm not sending it back out. At best you can use that Mightyena to attack me, it'd probably send me back to the town pretty badly hurt, crying maybe. I don't know. I mean look at me,' he said, raising his arms to fully display himself to his opponent. He was trembling like a leaf.

His adversary's ferocity curbed slightly. Still he yelled, 'But you're too weak, I mean just look at you! But I still need to test you like the others!'

'I am weak,' Nick admitted, taking a step towards the young man and his Pokemon. The large, hound-like beast growled louder, but Andrew flinched ever so slightly at the unexpected move.

'I'm not turning and running, but believe me when I say I'm terrified of that thing. I can't beat you and not just because I don't have an attack that can hit a dark type. You're one of the best trainers in the class, it's not like I don't know that. I'd loose and I'd get hurt, my Pokemon would get hurt much worse though and I'm not going to put her through that just because you say I have to.'

'But I need to ba-'

'You and everyone else in class judged me all year, calling me weak and useless and pathetic!' He shouted, taking a step every now and then towards the two.

'But now I _am_ going to walk past you, and you're going to let me. Do I meet your standard? Probably not, but you'll never know that for sure since you can't battle me. I'm going to leave Oldale and train, harder than you if I have to, if that's what it takes to catch up. Because I judge myself to be strong enough.'

Looking away from Andrew and his growling Mightyena, he turned his gaze to the path ahead and just started walking. His heart pumped hard and fast in his chest with each step, thinking that at any moment he'd set his Pokemon on him. He might've jumped a little as he passed Andrew and felt a tight grip on his shoulder. The two turned to face each other, faces close, eyes locked. There was still fire in Andrew's sky blue eyes. Nick did his best to hold that look.

'If… _if_ you get your rear handed to you out there and come home crying, I'll go out of my way, wherever I am, to come back here and give you an extra beat down. Oldale Town's small, not much goes on here and it doesn't get talked about in cities elsewhere. If you're going to represent our home, you'd better win.'

'I intend to, same as you,' he said, before taking another step and leaving a somewhat confused Andrew to ponder what exactly had happened to the meek trainer who used to carry a shiny Ralts around in his backpack


	6. The Unmaker

Chapter 6: The Unmaker

A long, dim, cavernous tunnel. It was lit only by intermittently placed torches, the light of which casted flickering shadows on the walls and stone pillars that danced to and fro. At one end, heavy stone doors were pushed open with effortful grumbles, even for the pair of muscular Hariyamas involved.

Two men marched through the entrance and into the cavern, their breath forming small clouds before them. They recalled the Pokemon to their Pokeballs, and, with well-practiced smoothness placed the balls in stone bowls on either side of the door. They continued forward, along the dusty path between the pillars, the other end of the cavern disguised by the gloom.

A short, stout man and a taller, leaner one. Both clad in plain black robes with hoods. They kept their gazes low and kept to the path, but glanced every now and then at the flaming torches that illuminated stone carvings of many different rare Pokemon. The light breathed life into the rock, it made them ferocious, elegant, and marvelous. The men took only fleeting glances at each of them and continued walking.

'It's been…two months,' the stout man said, concern in his voice.

The taller man only nodded.

'Is he even alive?'

'He's been eating and drinking the rations we give him, has he not?'

'But he doesn't _respond_ to us!' the first one hissed back. 'He just…kneels there and prays. How can we even be sure this will work?'

The taller man glanced down at his counterpart with eyes like burning coals amongst wrinkled, sunken sockets, 'Ye of little faith? You've seen the boy, the way Pokemon are drawn to him. If he is not meant to liberate the lost Pokemon then who is?!'

The smaller man shrunk back, his words coming quietly, 'I don't know…but it's frustrating. The fight to liberate the lost Pokemon has gone on for too long. Arceus ignores our prayers for mercy and our own efforts to find it have yielded nothing. And then you place all your hope in this boy…he's not even old enough to be a Pokemon Trainer yet. You ask much of him…'

'And he tries, he prays with all of his might. As you said, two months. His commitment to our cause is…impressive. Look, there he sits, still.' The tall man raised an arm and pointed towards the end of the cavern, which was now visible to them.

An enormous altar rose up at the paths end, a statue of Arceus dominating their vision, lit by row after row of small candles. It stood as a silent sentinel over a simple stone altar as well as the other Pokemon statues. At its base, a young boy was bowed low to the ground, back to them, clothed as the men were in plain black.

The two men approached the steps to the altar and stopped. A frown appeared on the stout man's face, though it was well cloaked by his thick beard. He glanced over to his counterpart as the taller man motioned towards the boy. 'Well?'

'Humph! Why bother? He never acknowledges us!'

The tall man murmured, 'Maybe today will be the day?'

'Fat chance. But, as you wish, Eros,' the large man said with a heavy sigh that caused his shoulders to sag. 'Young Master Lemuris, are you well today?'

Dissatisfaction emanated from the visitors as silence met the question. 'I've had just about enough of this you little swine!'

The taller man, dubbed Eros, raised a hand before his counterpart, silencing him instantly. 'Now now, Morits. We mustn't be so hard on the lad. Is he not simply doing what he was trained for, what we asked of him?'

'But Ero-'

'Lem…' he continued, earning him a loud grumble from Mortis. 'Won't you come back to us? If you've not heard an answer from either Arceus or the lost Pokemon, even after all this time, then perhaps our methods have been wrong. Come back to us now and let us reassess the situation…'

Mortis turned and stormed away, throwing his hands up, 'Waste of our bloody time, I say! Thinking that with his ability he could somehow commune with the lost Pokemon and receive guidance regarding its release. Folly! All useless, bloody folly!'

Eros ran his hands over his face, over the wrinkles, the sunken eyes, and the grey stubble that scratched at his fingers. 'How long will you stay here, Young Master Lem?'

A sound came, not a cough, but something crossed between a cough and a gasp. The lean elder pivoted back to the hallway from which they had come, surely it had been Mortis? No, only the sound of his shoes on the stone path echoed from him. His head zipped back to the altar. The boy was sitting up.

'Mort….Mortis!' Eros almost yelled, his voice carrying easily through the vast cavern. He didn't dare tear his eyes from the youth who had finally risen from his stasis. He heard the footsteps returning in a frantic run. When the loud taps of his shoes grew loud enough they ceased altogether and Mortis appeared once again beside him.

'My young master!' he huffed, hands on his knees as he hunched over while he caught his breath.

'How…how faired you, Lem? Were your prayers answered?'

The young boy was silent. Slowly he stood, he took time to move his head from side to side, stretching his neck. Several joints and bones cracked loudly as he stretched various parts of his body in turn. His back to them still, he spoke, 'Arceus ignores me, he has no time for one little person and their prayer.'

'And the lost Pokemon? What of the lost Pokemon?!' they asked eagerly.

'It's funny…you all care so much about freeing it. You called it an injustice, what happened to it, and called me "Young Master" and believed I would follow your orders. But, I've had a lot of time to think. I'm not your master, am I? I'm only eight years old, you know?' He was overcome by a fit of giggles, turned briefly into a burst of laughter.

The others stayed deathly silent, sponging up his every word, eyes still wide with disbelief. 'How silly. No, I was never meant to be your master. I was your tool.'

'We have only the upmost respect for you and your ability, sir!' Eros explained hastily.

'Something occurred to me, while I was alone,' he continued, paying no mind to the visitor's words. 'Wild Pokemon, they're drawn to me, right? If I wanted to, I could have the pick of the litter, the cream of the crop, I could choose any Pokemon I wanted. That's why you chose me, thinking I could gain the attention of the lost Pokemon, even in the reverse world, and commune with it. You even left me with a master ball, in case I found a way to release the lost Pokemon while I was alone. But isn't our goal to release it, to set it free?'

'O-of course, Lem,' Mortis stammered.

'You're lying!' he snapped. After a brief silence, he continued, at his normal volume, 'You're liars. Your plan was to capture it! You want to use it, just like you're using me!'

The two men were stunned into silence. Again the youth began to laugh, loudly and without restraint. His laughter filled the cavern, his shoulders heaved with it. Still the men did not speak, and Lem did not move.

'We-'

'You know what the best part is? You guys actually think I've been here for all this time, just praying!' Again he howled with laughter.

'Wh-what do you mean, Lemuris?'

'Did you think I wouldn't find out, about your backup plan? What if I missed the master ball? What if I didn't get a chance to throw it? I don't know how you got it all the way into this cavern from Sinnoh, but boy am I glad you did!'

He was lost to his shrill, echoing laughter again, but another sound occupied the attention of the two men. The ground shook, only for a moment. Then another tremble came. And another. It didn't take the two aged men much time to figure out that they were listening to footsteps.

From behind the enormous statue of Arceus something was coming. The knees of the two men shook, and not due to the thunderous steps. Eros looked down to his counterpart, 'No. He couldn't have… _caught_ it, right?'

'W-we…g-g-gave him a master ball!'

'But he's been here the whole time!'

They fell to their knees as not one, but two of the huge, hulking Pokemon came into view. 'What! Regigigas is a one of a kind Pokemon of legend! How are we seeing two?'

The two huge Pokemon made their way to the front of the statue, knocking over several pillars to make room for themselves. With a flick of his hand he answered their question. On his command one of the Regigigas became wholly black, a giant shadow in the already dark room. But in a second it changed and the two men realized what had occurred, how they had been fooled. They looked now upon one Regigigas, and one Zoroark.

'This guy was the first Pokemon I caught after using the master ball on Regigigas here. Pretty lucky, if you ask me. Otherwise, you all would've found out I'd gone and come looking for me. But, thanks to Zoroark I was given 2 whole months. I found a small side tunnel to the surface. I looked around and I found my cream of the crop. Zoroark stayed, of course, to project an illusion of me, praying, for you guys to see whenever you visited. Sure, I'm not old enough to be a Pokemon trainer, but who's going to tell me I can't now?'

'I…I see now. You were never praying to either Arceus or the lost Pokemon, were you? They were never going to hear you?!'

Finally, Lemuris turned to face them. 'Oh, I didn't say that. Sure, Arceus ignored me, but the other one…' The two gasped as they beheld the young boy they'd found and trained from a baby. Tears ran down his cheeks. Blood seeped from between his lips, dripping from his chin. Large, dark circles hung under his eyes. He looked like some wraith, a pale ghost of the boy they'd known.

'The lost Pokemon, even from its prison it speaks to me. In my head. I think I see it sometimes, anything moving in shadows, anything out of the corner of my eye. It all looks like the pictures you showed me. I haven't been able to sleep since it answered my prayer. I don't think it knows where the key is…but still it won't leave me alone!' he gritted his teeth and slammed a fist into the stone altar.

Eros took a step towards the boy, while Mortis backed off hesitantly. 'We can help you, Lem! You're the Unmaker! You can still unmake its prison, undo the injustice of Arceus! It just wants to be free! Won't you let us help you free the lost Pokemon? Then it'll leave you alone, I promise.'

Lemuris grasped his head in both hands, screwing his eyes shut and crying in apparent torment. 'Enough lies! You don't know where the key is, you don't know anything! I'll find the orb by myself, I'll set free the imprisoned Pokemon and I'll get it to leave me alone, even if that means I have to battle it! You…you all and your cult, your lies. They have to end first.'

'Heh,' Mortis said, smirking slightly, 'did you know that the legendary Pokemon you've caught has to be awake for five minutes before it reaches its full power? Otherwise it's slow and weak!' He threw a Pokeball, a large Rhydon appearing before him.

Eros caught on and threw his own Pokeball, a similar Rhydon taking form by the steps. 'We don't want this to end in violence, Lem. Just…let us walk away.'

Lemuris's face split into a wide, wicked grin. His teeth were stained with blood from his dry, crackled lips. 'You two think Regigigas is weak, do you? You think it hasn't gotten up to speed yet? My dear teachers, don't you see? Regigigas has been wide awake, on the other side of this statue the whole time!'

With that he set the colossal Pokemon into motion. Not upon his adversaries Pokemon however, it pounded the ground at its feet, and the whole cavern shook and rumbled. Using both fists in unleashed blow after blow, and the cavern around them shook violently.

Before the two men could turn and flee the cavern began to collapse. Dust fell from the ceiling with the first strike, but as they continued chunks of the roof began to come down, they ceiled the entrance, collapsed the pillars and laid every statue to ruin. Returning his Pokemon to their balls, the ghastly young boy threw another ball, and an abnormally large Claydol sprung into being.

'We need a tunnel, my friend. We have an orb to find, and we're not going to find it buried here. We're already in Hoenn, so we might as well start here. These people...they called me "the Unmaker". I was supposed to undo the prison that Arceus made. And I will, but Arceus will not get away with causing the lost Pokemon and I such pain. I'll get his attention. People of Hoenn, please stay out of my way. I don't want to have to unmake you too.'


	7. Bumbling Bug Buffoon

Hi all! Happy that some people are bothering to read this! Hopefully some are even enjoying it. If you've got this far, thanks for reading! ^.^ As always, let me know what you think, any feedback helps tremendously, both on story and on writing style. I'm aware I've still got a lot to learn and the writing probably reflects that. But hopefully there are some things I'm doing right too.

Chapter 7: Bumbling Bug Buffoon

It had been four days since Nicholas Willow had departed from Oldale Town. Camping came as a wondrous new adventure in itself. His roomy swag had been tedious to erect until he got the hang of it. He had a smile glued to his face as he finished scrubbing the pan he'd used with a small gas burner to cook that morning. After whipping his soapy hands that were almost numb with the morning chill, he packed away his cooking supplies.

Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply and took in the vastness of it all. Nearby, Estella used confusion to roll the swag tightly enough to fit into a tiny bag, something Nick found he could not get right no matter how hard he rolled.

'We should set off,' he said as soon as they were packed. His Pokemon nodded.

As they hiked down the well-traveled path, his Kirlia spoke up. "We're almost at Petalburg City and we haven't done any training. Do you think that one battle with that furry bullet is enough to take on our first Gym?"

Nick looked down at his Pokemon as she walked beside him and smiled. 'Not to worry, training is on the agenda. I didn't want us to get worn out when moving from town to town, at least until we got used to the outdoors more. We'll go hunting for wild Pokemon once we have Petalburg in our sights. Then at least we can spend a day or two training without worrying about running low on supplies, with the city just a short distance away.'

'Kir, Kir-lee!' she said, whilst thinking: "Oh. That makes sense I guess. I thought this was going to be a repeat of your battle shyness from home."

'What? No, we're doing this now, remember? No more hesitation and no regrets. In fact…you think we're near Petalburg?'

Estella's hands glowed and, with the power of her confusion she brought a map of the area out of one of the open side pockets of her trainer's backpack. She unraveled it and looked it over. 'Yep! Well, I think so at least. I mean…there aren't all that many landmarks to go by, but if we don't at least see the city by sunset I'd be surprised.'

'Then how about we go on the prowl now? Find a wild Pokemon and see if we can beat it in a battle!'

Estella giggled, "Sounds kind of mean when you put it like that. Maybe we can even catch something? We've never had another Pokemon with us before, might be nice to meet a new buddy."

'We'll see if something catches our fancy. I'm not really in a rush to catch anything.'

"What? But, if you get lots of different Pokemon then you'll be better prepared for battle."

Nicholas shrugged as they walked, 'I guess I always thought I'd just know when the time came that a Pokemon was going to be one I'd catch. Like, intuition, you know?'

Kirlia stuck her nose up at her trainer, "That's stupid if you ask me."

'I wasn't asking you,' he said as he looked away towards the woodland.

Estella huffed and crossed her arms, becoming silent.

'Anyway, if we're near the city, then let's go off the path for a while and see what we can find. You want a battle? Let's find you one.'

Estella raised her hands as fists and pretended to box with the space in front of her. "Bring on the battle!"

The forest was spacious and seemed almost welcoming in the light of midday, as though the branches parted to allow them access. The day was quiet, and, unfortunately for the upstart adventurers that meant that Pokemon were scarce.

After a few minutes of hiking in a straight line from the path the trees gave way to a spacious glade. A flock of Tailow chattered on the far end of the neat, circular area. 'Those things are supposed to stand their ground right? Sounds like an opportunity.'

The Kirlia shifted uneasily from foot to foot, "A whole flock?"

'Well…not ideally, no,' he said with slight chuckle. 'We'll figure something out…I hope.'

They headed towards the flock, standing tall, heads held high. "Gutsy", he had read once of the little bird Pokemon. If they would hold their ground, then he would not resort to sneaking. Not that he could in a glade with no bushes or tree cover.

'Let's see what they've got,' he declared as they neared the dozens of chirping birds.

He and his Pokemon almost jumped out of their skins as the entire flock took flight and headed right for them, squawking loudly. The pair braced themselves as the flock engulfed them, Nick felt feathers, claws and the occasional wing against him, but the talons weren't cutting or gripping. The chorus of their calls surrounded them like a cloud. But, in an instant, they were gone.

Nick and Estella blinked in surprise, turning around to watch the flock fly away as a single mass. 'That's not what I was expecting…'

He stood in place for a few moments, staring blankly into the forest beyond. He made no attempt to move.

He felt a tug on his hand and looked down to see Estella holding it, nestled against his side. "You ok?" she asked.

'Fine. Yeah, like I said: it was unexpected is all,' he said as he placed a hand on her head and stroked the smooth, rounded form for a moment.

"They didn't attack us. Wonder why they'd just get up and leave like that."

'I thought about that too, I think something might've spooked them. If something did, and they were trying to get distance from whatever it was, it'd be in that direction,' he surmised, indicated the forest in front of them with a nod of his head.

"Want to go check it out?" Estella said, letting go of his hand and stepping towards the trees.

'Umm…hey, if we're right and something scared them, shouldn't we make like the Tailow and head in the other direction?'

"We won't find wild Pokemon by going back the way we came, c'mon," she said, taking his hand again, this time trying to drag him forward. Reluctantly he followed her lead. "We're doing this now, remember? Full steam ahead, no regrets, right?"

'Right…' he mumbled. He shook his head vigorously and his shaken nerves began to settle.

They took another step forward and a loud rustling from beyond made them stop again. They searched through the trees when someone jumped into view, bounding through the brush in a large, white suit.

The person caught sight of them and yelled out, 'Run away!'

'From what!?' Nick replied, slowly backing into the glade with Kirlia.

The person burst through the trees and into the open space, 'Poor life choices!' The boy ran awkwardly in what looked like a sting-proof suit, a large net trailing behind him.

He ran past them, prompting the other two to pursue him. As they ran they became aware of a dull buzzing, like static in the open air. 'What…is that? Is something chasing you?!'

'Somethings is more accurate! Also, is that Kirlia shiny?!' he replied, glancing at Estella as he fumbled along.

Looking back, Nick caught a sight that took his legs into a full sprint. From amongst the trees rose a different cloud to the flock of Tailow. What followed the frantic young man was a swarm of Beedrill. Nicholas quickly caught up to the newcomer, Estella sticking close, 'Questions later, running now!'

The youth in the sting suit seemed to fumble in the bulky garment and tripped. He tumbled through the grass with a loud yelp. Trainer and Pokemon stopped as best they could, their momentum carrying them past the young man.

Their eyes darted between the swiftly approaching swarm of buzzing bees with their extended arm-like needles and the stranded lad in the grass. Nick wasn't sure why he didn't immediately make for the boy and try and get him to his feet, the sharp needles and sharper stingers of the Beedrill kept him rooted on the spot.

Instead Estella ran back to the fallen boy, agile form able to carry her nearly as quickly as any of the humans. She grabbed the youth by the arm and hauled him to his feet with a loud grunt. The swarm sped towards them relentlessly though, in seconds they would be overrun.

With both of them suddenly in harm's way, Nick too was spurred into action. Slinking off his heavy pack, he raced towards the others with a speed he didn't know he possessed. He reached them before the swarm of Beedrill and spread his arms wide, trying to cover as much of them as possible. He screwed his eyes shut as he braced for impact, expecting copious amounts of pain and discomfort.

"You big dummy!" Estella's voice sprang into his head. He felt a gentle touch on his back. He blinked and a sharp ringing sound rang out, piercing his head, echoing back and forth within it. When he opened his eyes he saw green: leaves and twigs. Brush. Still the touch was at his back. The buzzing of the swarm remained, but it was softer, as though muffled or far away.

'Wh-what?'

"You dummy…" The Kirlia's voice said again.

Nick looked back to where the others had been. They were there still, both of them. His breathing was still ragged from his sprint to his Pokemon and the newcomer. Seeing them there, safe, if startled, it began to slow.

"I could've teleported us. I was going to, though I only had hands on this guy, because he was in danger and all. Guess it's better that you came along for the ride, otherwise they would've kept chasing you to the bushes, where we're hidden now."

'Teleport, huh? That's a quick-thinking Pokemon you've got there.' The boy said.

Nicholas looked over the youth for the first time properly. Older than him by a few years, probably fourteen or fifteen.

'So…mind telling us what poor life choice led you to a swarm of Beedrill?'

A sheepish smile spread across his freckled face, 'Umm, well they're actually _my_ Beedrill. That was probably one of my first of a few bad choices. Sorry about that….people know me as a bit of an airhead. But you just dove in front of us! Did you know your Pokemon was going to save us?'

'W-well…not really no. Guess that made my whole "shielding" idea look kind of stupid. But hold on, you actually _own_ that many Beedrill?!' Nick exclaimed, nearby he heard Estella gasp. 'Wait…why?'

'Own isn't the right word. I haven't caught them or anything. I've got a honey farm just beyond that clearing back there. Bit of a hobby of mine, they stay around to keep the Vespiquen and the honey of the whole hive safe. The suit was getting stuffy, and they never gave me any trouble. It seemed like a fine idea at the time to just…take off my helmet. Maybe it's because I didn't normally do that. I don't know, I'm not going to try and get inside their collective heads. Anyway, I'd call that mistake number two. Guess I really screwed up, huh? Sorry about that, I really threw you guys under a bus didn't I?'

'Uh, well yeah, a bit,' Nick admitted. The young man's sorrowful expression worsened so Nick moved on. 'We were looking for a place to train before we got to the town. We're new to the whole "trainer" thing and need some real battle experience. Especially if we hope to take on the Gym Leader at Petalburg.'

The boy raised his eyebrows. 'A new trainer, how cool! Always love meeting rookies, there's such enthusiasm to them. You fit the bill alright, the way your Pokemon and even you yourself threw yourselves on the line to keep me safe when I goofed and fell.'

'But hey,' he continued, 'since you helped me out, I'll clue you in. Best spot to grind out some battles around here for a newbie would be north of here. You'll find glades like this spotted around with tall grass. Just that this one's a bit close to the honey farm, that's your problem. Trek north for a few hours and you'll find plenty of Zigzagoon, Bidoof and the like. They're easier to battle than birds, but if you find a Starly or Pidgey alone, give it a go. Flight gives battles a whole new dimension that'll be great to get the hang of. If you don't familiarize yourself with flying Pokemon, they'll beat you somewhere down the track…trust me.'

'Oh, wow, really? You seem to know your way around this place. I guess you're a local?'

'Born and raised, bud!' The red headed youth said with a beaming smile. 'So, come on, spill it. A Shiny Kirlia? You persistent, or just really lucky?'

'Everyone always asks about her,' Nick said with a slight sigh. 'Doesn't bother me what color she is, she's just my Pokemon. Anyway, it's the later. First Pokemon I ran into when I was looking to catch something. Guess that makes me really lucky?'

'Some people go their whole lives without finding a shiny Pokemon. People come by them sure enough, though that's usually after years of training and traveling. Some people call them the mark of an experienced trainer for that reason.'

The middle Willow child was rocked with laughter, 'Experienced? Guess that makes me the exception then?'

'Like I said,' the boy said with a wink, 'you're lucky all right. You may have training to do, but it never hurts to have luck on your side. What I wouldn't give for a touch of that one of these days…' The boy got up and made for the edge of the bushes. 'Well, they've probably settled down by now. I've still got honey to collect. Thanks for….umm, saving my hide back there. I do tend to get myself in all sorts of messes…'

'No, thank you for giving us a spot to train.'

'So, I'll be seeing you again soon I suspect?'

He and his Pokemon shot the boy a strange look. 'Never been the biggest fan of honey, if that's what you mean…'

The boy's mouth fell open. 'Wow. Don't get out much? First time to Petalburg?'

'Well…yes and yes, but how's that relevant to anything?'

'It's just…most people know me from the get-go. It's the hair I think, you can spot me in a crowd that's for sure! Anyway…' he said, approaching the two, hand outstretched. 'We all have titles, see? Mines kind of silly, but I can't do much about it since it's so…justified,' he explained, adding a disdainful note at the end.

Nick's eyes widened as realization began to dawn on him, thinking through a list of any easily recognizable characters from Petalburg that bore titles. It was a short list. He took the outstretched hand dumbly and shook it, expression stunned.

'Sure, I'm a klutz, an airhead, and not the best with snap decisions, but I'm still Flax, the Bumbling Bug Keeper. And I'm the current Petalburg City Gym Leader.


End file.
